Love And War
by Twistedsystem009
Summary: 11 years after being accused of necromancy and exiled from Jarl Ulfric's court, Adaria Blackblade has resulted to thievery. When she meets an uptight thief and bargains with her for an ally, will their unification result in love...or war?
1. Chapter 1 A Chance Meeting

**Merry Christmas! Sorry I haven't written in so long...I feel horrible. I mean, in the way that I haven't written in so long, not that I'm sick or anything. I saw The Desolation of Smaug yesterday and my brain still hasn't processed it. But Legolas is ****mine. **_**Mine. MINE! **_

Adaria slipped through Elisif's unlocked door, smirking. The security around her chambers was surprisingly low, even after Torygg's death and the start of the war. She tip-toed to the wardrobe and rummaged through it, pulling out a gown made of deep blue silk and white lace trim. Pulling off her robes and letting down her hair, Adaria held out the garment in front of her, examining it. Though she was mesmerized by the beauty of the dress, she was able to see someone emerge from Elisif's drawing room. It was a young woman with shoulder length white hair, sparkling green eyes, and a pointed face. She clutched a lacey nightgown as if it were gold. They stared at each other for several seconds, until their gaze was broken by the woman's eyes flickering to the nightgown. "_Shit!_" Adaria cursed, hiding herself behind the wardrobe door.

"What are you doing here?!" She asked the woman, turning her head to the side. "What are _you _doing here?" She returned. "No...nothing." She stammered. "Why do you have that nightgown?" She asked now. "Why do you have her dress?" Adaria let out a frustrated sigh. "I asked you first!" She insisted, stepping into the dress. "It's...business related." She pulled her hair into its tight bun and stepped out from behind the door. "So you're a thief?" She placed her hands on her hips. "I'm not answering any questions. And your appearence here is rather...suspicious, isn't it?" The woman lowered her voice, trying to appear seductive. Adaria clasped her hands over her stomach and walked towards her. "The lock wasn't picked, it was opened with a key. Now, why a thief like you would bother to break into Elisif's _private _chambers to steal something as petty as a nightgown perplexes me, unless..." She paused to watch her tense. "You two were..._involved_, and someone forgot to take back her key, or to check to see if she still had her spare." She smiled, tilting her head slightly. "I could be convinced not to call on the guards, but it'll cost you." She continued, in a louder voice than before. "What do you want? Gold?" The thief asked wearily.

"Gold is not of importance to a wealthy thief, darling. No, I want to know who you are and if I can rely on you to fall back on." She glared. "My name is Vex, I'm with the Thieves Guild, in Riften. We have a lookout just inside the gates. Tell him that you're looking for me, and he'll show you the way. Is that all?" Adaria smiled. "I am Adaria, Adaria Blackblade. There's only one more thing...can I trust you, Vex?" It was Vex's turn to smile. "I make no promises, Adaria Blackblade." She lept to the window sill and pushed open the window, jumping out of it with the nightgown held above her head. Adaria climbed onto the stone sill that stood three feet high, and stood in the window, watching the streets with amazement. It might have been her imagination, but she could have sworn that she saw a sewer grate closing. She jumped down from the platform and laced up a pair of boots. She folded her robes neatly and fitted them into her pack, adjusting her dagger in its strap. Maybe she would raid the Blue Palace another time, she thought, watching the window.

"Neither do I, Vex."


	2. Chapter 2 A Thought Gone Astray

**Hey, guys. I just got this new computer, so everything is a bit jumbled up. We did some traveling this week, too, so I haven't had much time to myself. And...my Skyrim isn't working! I have to use the other computer (my mom's computer/computer in general downstairs area) to play Skyrim, when the whole point of getting my own computer was so we wouldn't have to fight over that one. We have another one, but it's really, really crappy. Sorry about not writing for so long, I've just had a lack of inspiration lately. I started this fanfiction, but my sister is helping me with that. We do good when we co-write, 'cause our minds are so alike, but so different, ya know? I've been listening to a lot of music lately, too. Okay...this is getting awkward. Just...read. Read. Please.**

XxooxX

Vex pulled the sewer grate over her head without a sound, the way that she had learned to do when she first became a thief. She tried to keep her mind from straying to that damned thief. It was useless. Before she had taken one step and had time to put up her mental barriers that suppressed unwanted thoughts. Adaria's piercing grey eyes were the first thing in her mind, then her cheeks that flushed ever so slightly when Vex's eyes swept down the length of her figure. The way that her auburn hair framed her angular face and curled the tiniest bit at the ends. The way her eyebrows arched and her smooth pale skin...

The tip of Vex's boot hit a loose cobblestone, sending her flying to the ground. She brought her arms up as a reflex and scraped her left palm on the ground. She surveyed her surroundings, wringing her hand and reaching for the ladder. She had no idea if she was even at the right exit; everything looked alike in the sewers. She groped for the ground above and felt a gloved hand pull her up. "By the order of the jarl, stop right there!" The guard holding her demanded. She rolled her eyes, thinking, _It's not like I have much choice. _"Lady Elisif has us watching for you, thief." The guard behind them scoffed. "We're only to escort you from the city, ma'am. Nothing. More. Right, Lyne?" Her voice stiffened. "Yes, _Captain_ Yivonne. Our lady wishes you no harm, but the guard will not hesitate to put an arrow in you." Lyne pushed her forwards, while Yivonne tsked. "Let's hope you don't...bleed out." He hissed in her ear, taking a step back. "Go on. And don't come back!" He called to her as she began to walk away.

_Ab-so-lutely._

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Vex stumbled through the door of the Ragged Flagon, feeling only the slightest bit tipsy. On the way back to Riften, she'd had two bottles of wine at Whiterun's tavern. Gods, how she'd love to give that sexist waste-of-air bard another smack upside the head. "Careful now, sweetheart. Wouldn't want _someone _to take notice of your vulnerability and take advantage." Vekel chuckled, giving Delvin a pointed glance. Vex scoffed and rolled her eyes, saying, "I don't think I'll ever be _that _drunk." A snigger. "Now, wine?" She asked, holding out her hand. "Alright, for our little Vex." He handed over a bottle. "Wow, a whole bottle. You're feeling generous today." He smiled. "I can tell you're troubled, Vex. Why don't you tell me? I can listen." He took a seat in the stool behind the counter and propped his chin on his hand, watching her intently. She sighed.

"I went back to Solitude today, and I met...someone there." She kept her eyes trained on her bottle. "Who? What're you keeping from me?" Vekel demanded. "Shit. You know me too well. Her name was Adaria Blackblade, I think she was an Imperial, definitely a well trained thief. I was stealing from Elisif, she was too, but not for anything of great value. I never learned what her intentions were." She was silent for a moment, then regained her chain of thought. "We caught each other, we struck a deal. Silence for an ally with the Guild-me." Vekel shook his head. "What does this Adaria look like? I want to be prepared for her arrival-if she doesn't sell your identity to the Summerset Shadows." Vex rolled her eyes. "She has these grey eyes-piercing. Auburn hair down to her elbows, really pale, high cheekbones, dark makeup, tall and lean. Her accent is similar to Brynjolf's, but it lilts. That's all." Vekel shook his head again. "Vex!" Mercer's gruff voice shouted from the door to the Cistern down the hall. She gathered herself to leave, trying her best to act sober. "Careful. Don't break something." She ingored him.

"How did you get caught in Solitude?" Vex sighed and rolled her eyes. The soberness left in her took over. "I got lost in my thoughts and didn't realize I was at the wrong exit, alright? It's not a big deal. I didn't go to jail." She shrugged and tried to keep her cool. "Why _didn't _you get thrown in the prisons?" She inhaled sharply. "I'd rather not say. It's personal." Mercer narrowed his eyes. "What kind of personal?" She pressed the tip of her tongue against the back of her bottom front teeth, glaring. "_Personal. _Does that explain enough?" Her tone was calm, but a hint of frustration and anger was hidden deep beneath the surface. "Fine. Go." He dismissed her, leaning against his desk and crossing his arms. As Vex returned to the Flaggon, stumbling only slightly, she grabbed a wooden pole for support. Taking her hand away quickly, she felt the pain of her scrape being dragged across the splintery wood. As she surveyed the graze, her thoughts drifted back to Adaria. Her curves, the way the blue gown fit so tightly to her form. She remembered Elisif wearing that, but it didn't look as good on her. It didn't fit as well, and pooled at her feet. Whereas on Adaria, it was the perfect kind of tight and stopped right at her ankles. Her smile...it was fresh in Vex's mind. Full crimson lips and those grey eyes, so bright.

"Vex? Vex! Are you _drunk_?" Brynjolf stepped in front of her. "Maybe." He frowned. "Come on." He grabbed her arm and pulled her along gently, but with an urgency. "Lay down." He pushed her onto her bed, and she giggled, rolling to her side. He left her. She watched him walk away, a longing for his presence-or anyone's presence-overwhelming her need to sleep. It faded away quickly, though, and she drifted into a sleep where dream logic overtook her sanity her mind allowed her to think semi-clearly.

About Adaria.

Who else?

XxooxX

**I think that went well. Oh, Vex...she's my favorite. Except for Karliah. Karliah, Serena, Vex, Vilkas, Brynjolf, and Balgruuf. They're the best.**

**You can't change my mind.**

**Seriously.**


	3. Chapter 3 Vulnerability

**Heylo! I changed the last line of the first chapter, because it's important for this chapter. Go back and read it, it'll make sense. Enjoy! **

XxooxX

Adaria clutched her wound, the blood seeping through her tunic. _Damn it. _She thought. _I shouldn't have left my robes. Dammit, dammit! _It was too late for 'shouldn't haves'. The damage was done. She was going to bleed out in the Ratway, and no one would ever find her. Not that anyone would care-or notice-that she had died. She tripped over her feet and tumbled down the stairs to the lower decks. The knife wound in her stomach from where the assassin had stabbed her continued to bleed, and she was hobbling slowly towards the door that would take her to the Ragged Flagon, but the bleeding was getting worse and her legs were beginning to feel like lead. Her breathing grew slow and ragged, her steps slower and more careless, but she was almost to the Flaggon. Once she was through the door, the bar wasn't that far. No one noticed her as she staggered down the path to the bar, but no one seemed to notice themselves either. They sat staring into space, drinking from tankards filled with stale mead, and going through the motions of empty conversation. She had just walked into sight when her vision blurred to a point where her eyes began to hurt. She collapsed before anyone took notice of her, and if they did, she wasn't conscious to explain herself.

XxooxX

Vex pushed her way through the crowd of people, eager to see what had happened. "Hey!" Vipir called after her, massaging his arm where she had rudely elbowed him. It took her a second to register the identity of the unconscious figure on the ground, but when she did a string of profanities escaped her lips. The few people close enough to hear her cursing covered their ears and gave her wide eyed expressions of shock. She turned Adaria on her back and covered her mouth. Her tunic was plastered to her stomach with wet blood, and was probably still bleeding. Pulling up her tunic, she was able to make out a knife wound about an inch wide. Everyone close enough to see covered their mouths and inhaled sharply. "Someone get me bandages! NOW!" She turned to face the still crowd, her voice demanding and calm, while she was the complete opposite inside. A hand appeared beside her holding linen wraps. "I need her on a flatter surface. Get her to a bed or something. Hurry, she'll bleed out!" The anxiety was getting closer to the surface, but she wouldn't let it overwhelm her. She couldn't. Rune and Vipir stepped forward and hoisted Adaria between them. Vex led the way to the cistern, grabbing a bundle of leather strips from a shelf. Slowly, everyone gathered around Vex's bed to watch her clean the wound.

"I need a bowl of water and rags." She said to no one in particular, but soon Tonilia appeared with both of the items she had requested. First, Vex discarded Adaria's bloody tunic on the floor (revealing her breast band) and cleaned the wound with several rags. Taking a linen wrap, she covered only the injury with two layers of the yellowed linen. Lastly, she tied the leather straps around Adaria's stomach to make a brace of some kind. "Who is _this_?" Vex heard Mercer growl. "A friend." She snarled in reply, anger overwhelming her. She was used to him being an asshole, but to act the way he did towards Adaria, an injured 'civilian', was so inconsiderate it made her clench her fists and fight the urged to punch him in the nose. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but she interrupted with, "She'll stay here until she can travel, and I'm not letting her go any sooner, whether it's a request from you or her. She's _staying._" Though she was so fierce, Adaria appeared as a small, sick child lying on the bed before Vex. She felt protective, and as if she was the cause for her near-death experience. What if she was on her way to Riften to take advantage of their exchange? Vex sat on the edge of the bed for nearly the whole night, only going to sleep when Brynjolf insisted and brought her a blanket.

The next morning, Vex woke up minutes before Adaria. Just as she was decided to eat, for she was famished from two days of not eating and staying up until the early hours of the morning, the woman's eyelids fluttered. Vex took a seat on the edge of the bed and waited for the grey orbs to reveal themselves. When they did, they landed straight on Vex. They studied her, then Adaria said, "Vex?" Her voice was hoarse, and she gulped with noticable pain. "Are you alright?" Vex asked, concerned. Adaria smiled, and Vex noticed small lines on her face, though she normally seemed young and untouched by time. "Why do you care?" She asked, her eyes closing briefly. "You did pass out in the Flaggon last night, bleeding terribly, too." Adaria chuckled, turning her head to the side before looking back at Vex. "I'm guessing you want to know why." It wasn't a question. Vex nodded, and Adaria pushed back a strand of hair. "I started walking from Windhelm to Shor's Stone. I had business there. I knew I would be hot in my robes, so I rented a room at Candlehearth Hall for a week and left them there, in exchange for clothes." All Vex could think about was how beautiful Adaria's accent was. "I forgot that my dagger was in my robes, but I had my magic, so I thought that I would be fine. I had done my business at Shor's stone and I decided to walk to Riften to sell some of my new...acquired items." A sly smiled graced her crimson lips. "On the way I was attacked by an assassin, obviously a very bad one, but it was an unexpected attack, nonetheless. They stabbed me and took my belongings, leaving me to die. Unfortunately, though, I don't die easily." She sighed, staring at the ceiling. "I walked to Riften and there were no guards outside, nor was your lookout outside. Not that I expected him to be, but still... As I descending to the lower decks, I tripped and fell. I really thought that I wouldn't make it. I could barely breathe, or walk." Vex caught Rune as he passed and asked him for a pitcher of water and a cup. "You know the rest of the story." Before Vex could respond, Mercer came strolling in.

"You two gossiping? Typical women." Vex stood and stepped in front of him. "'Typical women'?!" She shouted, glaring. "I'm sorry if your _brain _isn't working, but we are far from being 'typical women'. Maybe you should learn a bit more about us before making assumptions. And don't forget to wipe the greed from your eyes. I think it's clouding your vision." He brushed past her, and Adaria chuckled.

"Well said."

XxooxX

**Come on. Mercer's an asshole. I just feel like after some of the arguments that he and Vex have had, he'd be a **_**sexist **_**asshole. Maybe not intentionally, but definitely just a total jerkwad. I'm sorry if this makes no sense. It's one in the morning, I'm tired, and I want to be DONE. Ok. Good night, people of the Skyrim fandom. Or good morning.**

**Afternoon. **

**Bye.**


	4. Chapter 4 Winterburn

**I changed some things in chapter two. Adaria doesn't have a tattoo and nose piercing...don't know why I decided that she'd look like that, but she doesn't anymore.**

XxooxX

"_Shit! _Vex!" Adaria exclaimed as she removed the bandage. "It's not going to go any faster if you complain." She sighed. "You could be more gentle." Adaria scoffed. "The wound is pretty much healed. I think you can leave." Her eyes flicked to Mercer at his desk, who was watching them with a scowl. Vex removed the brace and Adaria sat up gingerly. She twisted in either direction and stood. She took a few steps and stumbled. Vex caught her and asked, "You alright?" Adaria laughed, her arm around Vex's shoulders and Vex's arm around Adaria's waist. "I've had worse. Trust me." Her smile faded as she turned her head to look Vex in the eye. She cleared her throat and quickly removed her arm from Vex's shoulders, side stepping to break their contact. "I've got to go. Thanks." She walked away, getting faster as she continued, until her hair was flying behind her and she was almost running. "Hey!" Someone called after her as she flew past. She spun on her heel, almost falling over. It was a young man with dark hair and green eyes. He began to walk towards her. "Why in such a hurry?" He chuckled, watching her wild expression. Her chest heaving, Adaria replied, "No reason. Just...why do you care?" She phrased the question with a much harsher tone than she had intended. "Because you came in here a few days ago and passed out on the floor, bleeding like crazy." Adaria sighed and bit her tongue. "I'm Adaria Blackblade. I'm fine, and I've got to go." She produced a strained smile and lifted her voice to sound lighter and more free than she felt. "I'm Rune! It was nice to meet you, Blackblade!" He called after her.

The first step that Adaria took into fresh air wasn't much different from the air of the Ratway. The skies of Riften were poluted and the smell of uncooked fish wafted from the fishery. She made her way up the stairs, finding a splotch of dried blood on the walkway. Riften was rather crowded, Adaria observed as she pushed her way through the crowds in the streets. On her way to the gates, she was stopped by a man in steel armour. "You in Riften lookin' for trouble?" He snarled, looking her up and down. "I _am _trouble, so I think I've already found it." She smiled and crossed her arms. He chuckled. "Nice to meet you, then. As long as you don't cause more trouble than needed here, I think we'll be fine." Adaria gave one sharp nod and continued on towards the gates.

"Excuse me?" She approached the stablemaster. "Hmm?" His head snapped up, as if he had just been awoken. "Are these horses for sale?" She asked, gesturing towards the dappled grey and white mares. "Why they are, but if you don't mind, I'm rather fond of Mist here." He glanced at the horse on the right, who looked up from her hay at the mention of her name. "Winterburn, however, is itching for an owner. Whaddya say?" Adaria eyed the restless mare in her pen, and handed over the gold. "Winterburn." She clicked her tongue and beckoned the horse. She trotted out of her pen and pranced impatiently while Adaria and the stablemaster exchanged kind farewells. On their trip back to Windhelm, she discovered that Winterburn could go quite fast and was rather young with a taste for adventure, much like Adaria herself.

"I'll be back soon, alright?" Winterburn snorted, but stayed put. Adaria made the short trip to Candlehearth Hall and gathered her things, relieved to have her gear back. She changed into the riding clothes that she had long since forgotten about. It had been so long since she'd had a horse of her own. "Hello, sweetie." She greeted Winterburn, tieing her bags to the saddle and mounting the mare. "You ready for a long trip?" Snort.

"Me too."

XxooxX

**Did you get the Doctor Who reference? Did you get it?! Get it!**

**Doctor who?**

**Doctor **_**who?**_

_**Doctor who?!**_

**Hehe.**


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